Operating means for cell-doors.



No. 680,288. Patented Aug. 13, I90l. R. C. STEWART, JR. & W. A. STEWART.OPERATING MEANS FOR CELL DOORS.

(Application filed Apr. 1, 1901.)

(No Mudel.)

2 Sheets-Sheet l.

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No. 680,288. Patented Aug. I3, 1901. n. c. STEWART; 1n. &. w. A.STEWART.

OPERATING IIEANS FOR CELL DOORS.

(Application filed Apr. 1, 1901.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES RIOHARD- C. STEYVART, JR, AND WALLACE A.

' KENTUCKY.

PATENT OFFICE.

STEWART, OF COVINGTON,

OPERATING MEANS FOR CELL-DOORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 680,288, dated August1-3, 1901.

Application filed April 1, 1901. Serial in. 58,848. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that we, RICHARD O. STEWART, J r.,and WVALLAOE A.STEWARr,eitizens of the United States, residing at Covington, Kenton 5county, State of Kentucky, have in vented certain new and usefulImprovements in Operating Means for Cell-Doors; and we do hereby declarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same, attention being called to theaccompanying drawings, with the reference characters marked thereon,which form also apart of this specification.

This invention relates to improved and simplified mechanism to operatedoors for the purpose of closing, locking, and unlocking them and wheresuch operation is to be per formed from a position more or less remotefrom the doors. Such a condition exists in penal institutions, 'jails,penitentiaries, and similar places of detention where the doors of agroup of inclosed cells are to be operated from one certain position,generally outside of such group, so as to dispense with the direct andimmediate manipulation of each of the doors.

The features of this invention consist of certain novel, improved, andsimplified means 0 and constructions whereby such doors may be operatedfrom one certain position for the purpose of closing, locking,andunlocking them.

In the following specification and particu- 5 larly pointed out in theclaims at the end thereof is found a full description of the invention,together with its operation, parts, and construction, which latter isalso illustrated in the accompanying two sheets of drawings, in which-Figure 1 shows a few cells at the end of a row of them, the fronts ofthe cells being shown in elevation and with the doors and their lookingmeans in various positions. Fig. 2 shows a part of Fig. 1 with the meansfor locking the doors in a position whereby these latter are unlocked.Fig. 3 in a similar view shows the doors locked and with the means fordoing such held positively in their locking position. Fig. 4. is an endview of the box inclosing the operating-levers. Figs. 5 and 6 arevertical sections on lines 5 5 and 6 6, respectively, of Fig. 3. Fig. 7is a horizontal detail view of the upper end of a latch-bar and adjacentparts. Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail view showing a horizontal section ofthe door-jamb with the door in a position approaching the same. Fig. 9in asimilar view shows the same parts with the door in looking contactwith the jamb. Fig. 10 in a detail view shows a modified construction ofthe locking means.

' In penal institutions and places of detention it is customary toarrange cells in which groups or rows are provided with an inclosedcorridor or passage extending in front of them and with which all thesecells communicate by means of their doors opening thereinto. It is forthe purpose of manipulating all these doors from one certain position,pref- 7o erably the outside of a group, that various means have beenprovided. In this our presentinvention the doors to be manipulated aresliding doors, and our improved mechanism operates in this manner, thata number of them, forming an operatively-conneoted group for thepurpose, maybe simultaneously locked and unlocked all from one certainposition, which position may be outside of the inclosing corridor. Inaddition to this gen- 8 eral operation, in common to a number of doors,any one or more of them may be locked or unlocked by an individual lock,such operation being then independent from the general operation. 8 5

In the drawings, Fig. 1 shows a few of a group of cells arranged in arow side by side, all provided with doors 10, consisting of opengratework.

11 represents the intermediate portions of the front wall of the cellsbetween the dooropening, which walls may be solid.

The doors are sliding ones, provided for such purpose with rollers 12,connected to an upwardly-projecting flange 13 and traveling on tracks14. They are supposed to communicate with an inclosed corridor orpassage-way, common to all, arranged in front of them, andthey aremanipulated by levers, (shown on the left of Fig. 1,) and which leversare supposed to be located outside of this corridor. For the purpose ofclosing all these doors at once there is a sliding bar 15,supported inand guided by roller-brackets 16 above the doors and extending over allof them. It has downwardly-projecting lugs 17, one for each door andreaching into the path of their upper ends, more particularly into thepath of flanges 13 thereat, so that when said lugs, with bar 15, aremoved to the left they will engage all open doors and push them shut.For so moving this bar 15 we preferably use a lever 18, located outsideof the inclosed cells and pivotally supported on a bracket 19. If thenumber of doors to be manipulated is considerable, we use ascrew-movement to move the free end of the levers. For such purpose weprovide a nut 21 between the forked end of this lever, which not ismounted on a screw 22, supported in bearings 23. The screw is rotated bymeans of a crank-handle 24, hingedly connected and may be turned in andfolded up when not in use. It is held in operative position by aspring-pressed pin, which at the time of use enters the end of thescrew. It will now be seen that by rotating screw 22 the lever will moveclosing-bar 15 in either direction, according to direction of rotationof the screw. \Vhen moved to the left, all doors will be closedsimultaneously and none can be opened independently as long as the barremains in this position. Any door may, however, be closed independentlyby hand and before such is done by this closing-bar. If any one or moredoors have already been so closed previous to the general closingeffected by this bar, then this latter when shifted will close only suchdoors left still open. With the exception of certain contingencies to beexplained later all doors lock automatically as soon as they arrive intheir closed position, no matter whether moved so individually by handor collectively by the closing-bar. For such purpose these doors at oneof their upright edges have notched catches 25, which are adapted toenter openings 26 in a latchbar 27, supported within a hollow post 29.That side of this post against which the doors abut, and which sideforms the jamb for the doors, has openings 29 to permit such catches toenter. The upper outer corners of these catches are cut oif to renderthem inclined, while the upper ends of openings 26 are also out under onan incline to render entrance of the catches possible. These latch-barsare so supported as to be capable of a limited-movement in a verticaldirection, and before lockin g they occupya position which brings theupper inclined ends of openings 26 in them in line with the inclinedends of catches 25, so that g each other.

when the doors move into their closed position these inclined partscome-in contact with A slight continuation of the movement in thisdirection causes now the latch-bars to ride upon these catches untilarrived above the notches in these latter, after which they drop againand by engaging the notches in the catches hold the doors locked.

The latch-bars are held in a vertical position against the inside of thehollow post 28 by buttons 31 and rollers 32, which also facilitate theirvertical movement. By raising them catches 25 become free again and thedoors may he slid open, provided, however, that closing-bar 15 haspreviously been shifted accordingly and to the right, as shown in Fig.1, to movelugs 17 out of the way of the upper ends of the doors. Thisunlocking of these latter is effected from the outside and affectssimultaneously all doors. For such purpose each latch-bar has connectedto its upper end one of the ends of a lever 34, which levers arepivotally supported at 35 and have on their under side each an inclinedcam-surface 36. It is evident nowthat by raising the connected ends ofthese levers 34 the desired raising of the latch-bars 27 is effected.For the purpose of so raising them there is another bar 37, supportedfor shifting in a horizontal direction in bearings 38 and provided withprojections 39, located so as to be adapted to pass under levers 34,whereafter, when engaging cam-surface 36 on these levers, the ends ofthese latter, and with them the latchbars, are raised. Closing-bar 15being in proper position, the doors can now be slid open, which may bedone from the inside by the occupant or from the outside of the door. Tofacilitate this opening, as well as to indicate perceptibly to theoccupant that the door is now in position for opening, we providestarting-springs 41, which until then were held compressed by the lockeddoor and which permitted now to return to their previous condition bythe unlocking of the door start the samepartly open, as shown in Fig. 2.For manipulating this locking-bar 37 we connect the same to a lever 42,also located on the outside and only accessible thereat, it beingpivoted at 43. Bar 37 may be held in this position, where it holdslatch-bars 27 so raised by the locking of lever 42 in position, forwhich purpose this latter carries a trigger 44, which at this timeengages a notch 45 in bar 46, as shown in Fig. 2. In this position-thatis, as shown in Fig. 2-none of the doors it closed would look, andin-this mannerthat is, by leaving the operating parts in theirposition-either the accidental l or intentional locking in or lookingout of a prisoner is prevented. To hold the latch-bars positively downand in engagement with catches 25, which is their locking position,locking-bar 37 by means of lever 42 is moved to a position as shown inFig. 3 and kept so by the locking of lever 42 in notch 47. This movementcauses projections 39 to move under the free ends 48 of levers 34,thereby preventing any movement of these latter, and particularly theone which they would have to go through in order to permit raising ofthe latch-bars, which raising requires an unobstructed movementdownwardly of said ends 48.

Outside of the means as described for manipulating the latch-bars forlooking or unlocking of the doors some or all of them may have locks 49,accessible from the corridor, whereby any one of these latter soprovided may be locked or unlocked by means of key 50 (shown in Fig. 8)and independently of the means before described. To permit such, it isnecessary, however, to first move lockingbar 37 to a neutral positionand intermediate the two positions before described, so as to bringprojections 39 to a position between the ends of levers 34 and as shownin Fig. 1. The parts are held in this position by the locking of lever42 into notch 51, as shown in Fig. 1. The locks 49 are secured withinhollow post 28 and operate in conjunction with notched keepers 52, whichare provided on each one of the doors and enter into their positions toreach the lock by passing through openings in the jamb side of post 28and in the latchbar within. When looking in this mannerthat is, by locks49-the latch-bars do not necessarily have to enter into action, thelocking being simply by bolt '53 of lock 49, which engages keeper 52, asshown for the door A in Fig. 1. To unlock a door so locked, it isnecessary to move bolt 53, so as to move it out of keeper 52, andsufliciently more to lift the latch-bar in case the same is down, so asto also disengage catches 25. In order to so lift the latch-bars, theyhave lugs 54, against the under side of which the upper end of bolt 53acts, all as shown for door B in Fig. 1. Fig. 2 shows a position wherethe latch-bars are held in an inoperative position by levers 34, and inwhich position they are incapable of locking the doors. At this time,however, these latter may be locked or unlocked by locks 49. To unlock adoor when so locked, it is only necessary to move bolt 53 sufficientlyto raise it out of keeper 52 and as shown at C in Fig. 1, where it is ina position intermediate the positions A and 'B. It is'ihen not necessaryto raise bolt 53 as high as shown at B to raise the latch-bar, sincethis latter is already raised by lever 34 and projection 39. Left in theintermediate position C locks 49 are entirely ineffective for anypurpose whatsoever as concerns the manipulation of the doors by bars 15or 37, operated by levers 18 or 42.

The Various possible manipulations of the doors may now be resumed andare as follows: When the doors are open, any one may be closedindependently; but they are all subject to and may be closedsimultaneously 4 in Figs. 1 and 2. If it is intended to exclude fromthis general unlocking, as shown in Fig. 2, any certain door, such doormay be kept locked by means of its lock 49, as shown at A, Fig. 1, whilethe other parts are in a position as shown in Fig. 2, the locking bylock 49 not interfering with the movement of the latch-bars. In suchcase the particular door or doors would be locked before locking-bar 37is moved to the position shown in Fig. 2. If it is desired that any onedoor should not lock automatically on being closed either by hand or bythe closing-bar 15, such may be prevented again by lock 49, the bolt ofwhich is moved into a position as shown at B, Fig. 1, and in whichposition the dropping of the latch-bars into catches 25 is preventedwhen the doors arrive in their closed position.

Hollow post 28 is preferably constructed of two channel-irons connectedin the manner shown in Figs. 8 and 9, one of the channelirons formingalso the door-jamb, receiving the edge of the door between its flanges,whereby this latter is firmly held against out ward pressure. The loweredge of the doors is guided by guides 55, between which they move.

The operating-levers are inclosed in a box 56, access to which is hadthrough a door 57, controlled by a lock 58. The operatingparts above thedoors are all inclosed and inaccessible, as shown in Figs. 2 and 6.Above this the solid wall may be perforated, as shown at 59, forpurposes of ventilation.

By combining with locking-bar 37 the rotary adjustment and otheraccessories, as

shown for bar K in our Patent No. 645,575, issued to us on March 20,1900, the possibilities as to the individual manipulation of anyparticular door or doors may be still more'increased in a mannerdescribed in said patent. Catches 25 instead of engaging openings 26 inlatches 27 might engage similar catches 61, projecting in reversedposition from them, as shown in Fig. 10, and in which case these catches61 would be the mechanical equiva-- lent of openings 26, or, as shown insame fig.- ure, catches 25 might be on latch-bar 27, as shown at 61 inFig. 10, and openings 26 might be in the first upright bar of the door,which, however, would be a mere reversal of the same parts, as shown andclaimed. In this latter case unless the door is solid it becomesnecessary to provide a casing 62 to inclose the projecting catches, soas to prevent access thereto.

To facilitate the movement of the latchbars and so hold them in place,links 63 might be used, pivotally connected to them and to the insideofthe hollow post, as shown in same figure.

Having described our invention, we claim as new- 1. In operating meansfor closing cell-doors, the combination with a number of sliding doors,of a sliding bar supported above them, downwardly-projecting lugs 17 onthis latter,

one for each door, the upper parts of these latter and said lugsextending into each others paths, a lever to shift this bar for thepurpose of moving the doors into their closing position and lockingmeans operating auto matically when the doors arrive in their closedposition for the purpose of holding them in such position.

2. In means for operating cell-doors, the combination of a number ofsliding doors, a sliding bar supported above and provided withprojections adapted to enter into operative connection with the door, alever to shift this bar for the purpose of moving the doors, slots atthe free forked end of this lever, a

nut thereat having laterally-projecting pins which engage these slots, ascrew-shaft on which this nut is mounted and means to rotate thisscrew-shaft for the purpose of manipulating the lever.

3. In operating means for cell-doors, the combination with a number ofsliding doors, of means to move them, a lever to operate these means, anut at the free end of this lever, a screw-shaft on which this nut ismounted, a closable case whereby access to this screw-shaft may beprevented, and a crankhandle to rotate this latter, the same beingconnected to this screw-shaft with an articulated joint to permit of thesame being turned into the inclosing case after use.

4:. In means for locking cell-doors, the combination of a latch-barsupported so as to be capable of a limited movement in a verticaldirection behind one of the door-j ambs, it being free to drop to itslowest position which it normally occupies and having openings withinclined surfaces at their upper edge, catches with notches alsoinclined-at their outer edges projecting from that edge of the doorwhich in closing, approaches the doorjamb mentioned and in whichposition said catches are adapted to enter the openings in thelatch-bar, the inclined surfaces at the upper edge of the catches beingnormally in line with the inclined surfaces at the upper edge of saidopenings, so that said entrance requires a raising of the latch-barcaused by the engagement of the inclined surfaces which enables thelatch-bar to drop into the notches of the catches after these latterhave entered the openings in the former.

5. In means for locking cell-doors, the combination of a hollow post, asliding door supported so as to have a movement to or from this post, alatch-bar inclosed by this latterand supported so as to be free to dropwith a limited vertical movement, notched catches projecting from thatedge of the door which, when closing, approaches the hollow post,openings in the side of this latter next to this approaching door edgeto permit said catches to pass through, and openings in the latch-bar,back of this side of the post to permit said catches to enter for thepurpose of engaging'the latch-bar.

6. In means for locking and unlocking a number of cell-doors, thecombination of notched catches projecting from one of the edges of eachdoor, a vertically-supported latch-bar for each of theselatter, free todrop, with a normal tendency to occupy its lowest position and havingopenings adapted to receive the catches and by dropping into the notchesof these latter when the doors are completely closed, holds them lockedand means operating to simultaneously raise the dropped latch-bars tounlock the doors.

7. In means for locking and unlocking a number of cell-doors,thecombination of notched catches projecting from one of the edges ofeach door, a vertically-supported latch-bar for each of these latter,free to drop, with a normal tendency to occupy its lowest position andhaving openings adapted to re ceive the catches and by dropping into thenotches of these latter when the doors are completely closed, holds themlocked and means operating to hold these latch-bars in this lockingposition or to'raise them to unlock the doors.

8. In means for locking and unlocking a number of cell doors, thecombination of notched catches projecting from one of the edges of eachdoor, a vertically-supported latch-bar for each of these latter, free todrop, with a normal tendency to occupy its lowest position and havingopenings adapted to receive the catches and by dropping into the notchesof these latter, when the doors are completely closed, holds themlocked, means to simultaneously move all open doors into such closedposition and means operating to simultaneously raise the droppedlatch-bars to unlock the doors.

9. In means for looking and unlocking a number of cell-doors, thecombination of notched catches projecting from one of the edges of eachdoor, a vertically-supported latch bar for each of these latter, free todrop, with a normal tendency to occupy its lowest position and havingopenings adapted to receive the catches and by dropping into ,thenotches of these latter, when the doors are completely closed, holdsthem looked, a sliding bar and means operatively connecting it with theupper ends of the latch-bars whereby these latter may be raised tounlock the doors.

10. In means for locking and unlocking a number of cell-doors, thecombination of notched catches'projecting from one of the edges of eachdoor, a vertically-supported and vertically-movable latch-bar for eachdoor having openings adapted to receive the catches and by dropping intothe notches of these latter, when the doors are completely closed, holdsthem looked, a sliding bar adapted to engage the'upper parts of all thedoors and operating to move all open doors intosuch closed position andan additional sliding bar operatively connected to the upper ends of thelatch-bars, whereby these latter may be manipulated to unlock the doors.

' edges of each door, a vertically-supported latch-bar for each of theselatter, free to drop, with a normal tendency to occupy its lowestposition and having openings adapted to receive the catches and byengaging the notches in these latter, when the doors are closed,

holds them in such closed position, a sliding bar supported to have areciprocatory movement past all latch-bars and close to them, aprojection on one and an inclined cam-surface on the other whereby, whenthese two engage each other, the latch-bars may be raised.

12. In means for locking and unlocking a number of cell doors, thecombination of notched catches projecting from one of the edges of eachdoor, a vertically-supported and verticallymovable latch -bar for eachdoor having openings adapted to receive the catches and by engaging thenotches in these latter, when the doors are closed, holds them in suchclosed position, levers at the upper end of each latch-bar, a slidingbar supportcd to have a reciprocatory movement past all these levers andprojections on this bar whereby, when engaging the levers mentioned, thelatch-bars may be manipulated.

13. In means for locking and unlocking a number of cell doors, thecombination of notched catches projecting from one of the edges of eachdoor, a vertically-supported latch-bar for each of these latter, free todrop, with a normal tendency to occupy its lowest position and havingopenings adapted to receive the catches and by engaging the notches inthese latter when the doors are closed, holds them in such closedposition, levers pivotally supported between their ends and connectedwith one of their free ends, one to each latch-bar, a sliding bar havingprojections and supported so as to permit of it being moved to bringthese projections either under the connected or free ends of the leversmentioned, whereby in the first case the end connected to the latch-barsis raised and in the other case the lever is prevented from moving.

14. In means for locking and unlocking a number of celldoors, thecombination of notched catches projecting from. one of the edges of eachdoor, a vertically-supported latch-bar for each of these latter, free todrop, with a normal tendency to occupy its lowest position and havingopenings adapted to receive the catches and by dropping into the notchesof these latter, when the doors are completely closed, holds themlocked, and means operating to positively hold the latchbars in theirlocked position.

15. In means for locking and unlocking a number of cell doors, thecombination of notched catches projecting from one'of the edges of eachdoor, a vertically-supported and vertically-movable latch-bar for eachdoor having openings adapted to receive the catches and by dropping intothe notches of these latter, when the doors are completely closed, holdsthem locked, means operating to simultaneously raise the droppedlatchbars to unlock the doors, an independent lock for each one of theselatter, whereby any door may be kept locked, irrespective of the generallocking and a projection on each latch bar adapted to be engaged by thebolt of this independent lock, whereby any latch-bar may beindependently raised to unlock the particular door independent of thegeneral unlocking.

16. In means forlocking and unlocking celldoors, the combination ofnotched catches projecting from one of the edges of each door, a hollowjamb-post formed of two connected channel irons, one of which betweenits flanges, receives the edge of the door when the same is closed,openings in the web of this channel -iron to permit the catches on thedoor to pass through, a vertically-supported and movable latch-barsupported within this hollow post and having openings adapted to receivethe catches after they have passed through the openings in the jarnb andby engaging these latter, holds the doors closed.

In testimony whereof we hereunto set our hands in the presence of twowitnesses.

RICHARD O. STEWART, J R. WALLACE A. STEW'ART. Witnesses:

C. SPENGEL, ARTHUR KLINE.

